AkzoNobel to further tap nation's industrial upgrade

Résumé détaillé

Dutch paints and coatings giant AkzoNobel is stepping up investment and expanding its footprint in China — its largest single-country market by revenue — as the nation's economy…

Dutch paints and coatings giant AkzoNobel is stepping up investment and expanding its footprint in China — its largest single-country market by revenue — as the nation's economy transitions from volume-led expansion to high-quality, innovation-driven growth.

"Emerging sectors like electric vehicles and artificial intelligence, as well as evolving dynamics across different segments of real estate and industrial transformation, provide massive opportunities for multinational corporations like AkzoNobel," Greg Poux-Guillaume, CEO of AkzoNobel, said in an exclusive interview with China Daily.

According to Poux-Guillaume, China now accounts for 13 percent of AkzoNobel's global revenue — outperforming most international coatings peers — with particularly strong growth in business-to-business segments such as marine, protective and powder coatings.

Meanwhile, China's steady advancement of high-standard opening-up and supportive business environment have further facilitated the company's expansion across its 17 manufacturing plants in the country.

Even as the Amsterdam-headquartered company optimizes its global manufacturing footprint, it has continued to expand capacity in China, most notably in Tianjin and Suzhou, Jiangsu province.

Production volume previously handled in the United Kingdom to serve the Middle East was transferred to China, where the local facility absorbed the surge while maintaining a 98.5 percent on-time-in-full delivery rate — surpassing AkzoNobel's global average.

"We do not see China as a low-cost manufacturing base. We invest in China because of its quality, efficiency and ability to innovate," Poux-Guillaume said.

"China is no longer trying to win by being a low-cost player; it is winning by being a high-quality and innovation-driven player. That is why we will continue investing here."

Central to this localized innovation is AkzoNobel's Shanghai Technology Center in Songjiang district, the company's largest research and development base outside Europe.

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